Chapter 440 - Lilia-san, Please Come Quickly!
After looking around the stalls for a while, I came with Isis-san to the Central Plaza…… where the third day’s main event, the auction was being held.
There were so many people in the Central Plaza that we decided to observe the auction from a distance, taking into account Isis-san’s magic power of death.
When we entered the plaza, we were given a plate with a number on it. This would probably be my number when I wanted to buy something from the auction.
Incidentally, I was number 985 and Isis-san was number 986. Well, I don’t really intend to buy anything at the auction at the moment, but something that I want may appear, so might as well take a look.
Even so…… As one would expect from the main event of the day’s festival, there was a huge crowd around us, with many partic.i.p.ants raising their hands in compet.i.tion with each other. And on the stage set up in the center of the plaza, the host with a microphone was calling out prices one after another.
[……The partic.i.p.ants don’t seem to be shouting out their bids, so how is it that the host knows how much they bid?]
[……In this auction…… You can bid through hand signs…… The host has…… high-degree compound eyes…… So she’s watching all partic.i.p.ants at the same time.]
[……I see.]
I’ve never seen an auction like this before, so everything looked fresh to me.
I also noticed some people were raising their hands in a thumbs-up. I wonder if that’s some sort of hand signal?
[Incidentally, what does this signal mean?]
[……Ah.]
“Whoa there! Someone bid double again!!! “Number 985! One white gold coin!”]
[……Eh?]
When I tried to ask Isis-san what the hand signal meant, she looked surprised and my number was called by the host immediately after.
A- Ah, sh*t! I see, even from this distance, the host can still see us…… In other words, I’ve just made a bid.
[……Errr……]
[……When you call on something…… You can’t take it back anymore.]
[H- Hmmm…… But well, this doesn’t really mean that I’ve won the bid anyway……]
“One white gold coin! Are there any bids above white gold? ……It doesn’t seem like anyone is betting anymore. Well then, congratulations to the young man with number 985 for winning this item!!!”
[…………………]
Don’t let your curiosity lead you to do stupid things…… It was a good lesson. The tuition I paid to learn this lesson was quite expensive, but well, I guess it can’t be helped. It’s my fault for being so careless, so I’ll just obediently buy it.
[……Wait, what did I bid on in the first place?]
[……Errr……]
Thinking that I didn’t know what item was being auctioned, I asked Isis-san, to which she pulled a huge book out from nowhere.
[That is?]
[……The auction’s…… catalog…… Errr…… The one being sold now is catalog number 15, so the one before that…… is this one.]
[Errr, let’s see…… “The journal left by the First Hero, 23 pages, undeciphered”……]
……Ahh, just looking at its name let me know that it was something I shouldn’t have touched. This is definitely something that could be considered as Neun-san’s black history. Unnn, let’s just promptly give it to Neun-san as soon as I receive it later.
But then again, I doubled the previous bid, and won with one white gold coin bid…… So there were people who wanted to buy it even if they had to pay five gold coins or five million yen…… As expected of the First Hero.
While I was thinking about this, it seemed that the bid for item number 15 had also been settled and the auction moved on.
“Well then, the next item is…… something provided by Underworld King herself!”
Oya? The next item is provided by Kuro huh…… I wonder what that is?
“Catalog number 16! “Underworld King’s handmade baby castellas”!”
Why the heck are baby castellas being auctioned off at a high-cla.s.s auction…… Kuro, what the heck are you doing……
“These baby castella were made by Underworld King-sama to be given to “a certain person”…… A collection set of “not so good” baby castellas!”
In short, it’s just a collection of your failed baby castellas, isn’t it? Or rather, that “certain person”……
[……Maybe…… for Kaito…… Kuromeina…… made a whole lot…… to feed to Kaito.]
[……I- I see……]
What the heck is this unpleasant feeling creeping on my skin now? Looking at those baby castellas makes me feel like it’s my fault that those inappropriate items were being sold in this place……
“Well then, the starting price is “one gold coin”!”
I don’t know if I should say that it’s thoughtlessly increasing or not…… wait, doesn’t it seem like it’s increasing absurdly!?
“Number 234, five gold coins! Number 57, eight gold coins! Whoa there, number 622 has bid two white gold coins!”
[E- Eeehhhhh…… Why the heck did the price rise that much?]
[……Kuromueina…… is very popular…… I think that the members of the Underworld King Adoration a.s.sociation…… would want to acquire it…… even if they had to use the entirety of their wealth for it.]
[………………….]
I don’t know if I should be impressed by Kuro’s popularity or pity the people who are willing to pay tens of millions of yen for baby castella……
As I was dumbfounded by this questionable situation, I suddenly saw a person running towards me.
[Miyama-sama!?]
[……Lunamaria-san?]
[I’m begging you! Please lend me some money! I have to win this bid at all costs!!!]
[Are you out of your mind!?]
The zealot who appeared, while maintaining a distance of three meters from us, shouted at me in a desperate manner.
[Then, out of mind, I shall be! This Lunamaria is willing to die for the sake of eating Underworld King-sama’s homemade food!!!]
[Could you please spare me from that!?]
[I’m begging you! When I tried to borrow money from Milady, she wouldn’t lend any to me, saying “Stop with your foolishness”! Miyama-sama is the only one I can rely on now!]
[…………………..]
It’s because Lilia-san is completely right. No, it’s not like I don’t want to lend her money…… But as a friend, though it may just be for argument’s sake, I think Lunamaria-san’s strange behaviors should be stopped.
[……I think you should calm down for a bit, Lunamaria-san.]
[I can’t! I may never get another chance like this again, you know!!!?]
[……I’ll just ask Kuro for some……]
[As expected of Kaito-sama! Your wonderful consideration won’t let a chance to seize a woman’s heart to escape! You truly are the most wonderful man in the world! This Lunamaria-san is more than willing to be embraced by Kaito-sama now!!!]
[Lilia-saaaaan!!! Can you please fetch your rampaging maid already!?]
I just suggested this to calm down Lunamaria-san. However, I didn’t realize that her train of thought would get derailed even more…… For the time being, let’s just get her guardian Lilia-san to fetch her as soon as possible……
While Lunamaria-san looked at me with sparkling eyes, I pulled away a bit…… No, as I seriously pulled away, waiting for Lilia-san’s arrival…… I heard an impressed voice nearby.
[……You…… know well…… Kaito is…… in the whole world…… the coolest.]
[……Isis-san.]
Seeing isis-san nodding at her, I let out a big sigh.
Dear Mom, Dad———— After coming to the auction, I’ve been met with lots of trouble from the start. There’s also the fact that I accidentally won a bid…… Above all, I’m afraid of Lunamaria-san, whose switch was completely turned on. No, seriously, I’m begging you———— Lilia-san, please come quickly!
~~ Extra ~~
Useless Maid: [That being said, My Lady, why did you prepare so much money?]
Stomachache: [It’s…… just in case.]
Useless Maid: [……Speaking of which, I heard that a “miniature model of the Dragon King” will be auctioned……]
Stomachache: [I would even pay 100 white gold coins!]
Useless Maid: [……The words you told me earlier, I return them back to you.]
Stomachache: [……Eh?]
T/N: 23/269
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